The curse of the Sky News mic struck again at a Manchester United press conference on Tuesday, with Sir Alex Ferguson being recorded telling a press officer to ban a journalist who asked a question about Ryan Giggs.

Giggs was named in the House of Commons on Monday as the footballer alleged to have had an extra-marital affair with the model Imogen Thomas.

Ferguson was overhead ordering a press officer to "ban him on Friday" after Rob Harris, a sports correspondent for the news agency Associated Press, asked the United manager "how important" Giggs was for the team on Saturday.

Ferguson, not amused, shot back: "All the players are important, every one of them."

Minutes later, the manager was recorded by a Sky News microphone asking press officer Karen Shotbolt about "the guy that asked the question about Giggsy … at the press conference". She replied: "Which one?"

Shortly afterwards Ferguson is heard to ask: "Is he coming on Friday?"

Shotbolt replies: "The guy with the laptop?"

Ferguson then orders: "Aye. Then we'll get him. Ban him on Friday."

The Scottish manager is known for his run-ins with the media. Ferguson is due to meet the BBC director general, Mark Thompson, to end a feud which has seen the manager refuse to be interviewed by the corporation for seven years. His press conferences quite often provoke angry rebukes against journalists.

Mark Evans, head of home news at Sky News, said: "Any microphone is a live microphone."

Lou Ferrara, AP's managing editor of sport, added: "Rob Harris was doing his job as a journalist by asking a question.

"Our expectation is that he'll ask more questions and be afforded the ability to do so as he covers the world's most popular sport."

Manchester United had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.